Alcyonaria g 15 



A similar form occurs in the Sagami sea, described as P. japonica by Kinos- 

 hita. 



_ When seen living, or fresh from the sea, it is light red or delicate salmon- 

 pmk m colour, but the colour soon fades when exposed to the light, and in 

 drying or in alcohol, so that museum specimens are always white or nearly so 

 The spicules are white. Thomson gives (op. cit. 1907, pi. 2) a good coloured 

 figure of a branch drawn soon after its capture from the Faroe channel. He 

 also ascertained that it is viviparous, the planulaj developing within the polyp- 

 bodies. 



The name P. resedce forma (Gunnerus) as quoted by Pallas, in his "Errata" 

 (op. cit.) has priority over the name reseda, given by Pallas. In case the work 

 of Gunnerus is to be considered strictly binomial, his name should be adopted, 

 as has been done by some recent writers, who however spell it resedceforrnis. 

 According to Pallas it was printed by Gunnerus as two words "reseda; forma,'' 

 indicating that it was only a descriptive polynomial name, similar to those 

 given to it by still earher polynomial writers. I have not had the work of 

 Gunnerus, and therefore use the name now in general use. 



Calligorgia compressa Verrill. 



Primnoa compressa Vebrill, Proc. Essex Inst., vol. IV, p. 189, 1865 • Trans Conn 

 Acad. Sci., vol. I, part 2, p. 4.54, 1869. 



This species was originally described from a large specimen denuded of 

 calicles. It forms a large, much-branched, flattened corallum. The branching 

 is alternate at acute angles. The axis of the branches and branchlets are com- 

 pressed, and taper to slender tips. The coral is hard and calcareous. 



The type described was taken off Alaska, on fishermen's lines. 



Family MURICEID.^ Gray, 1859. 



The following large species, which has hitherto been referred to Paramuricea, 

 differs so much from the typical species of that genus that it should be made 

 the inype of a distinct genus. 



Lepidomuricea Verrill. New genus. 



Coral large, much branched, the branches extending more or less in one 

 plane. 



The cahcles are somewhat prominent, cylindric or truncate-conical, the 

 margin armed by one or more rows of sharp pointed spines arising from bases 

 that are flat, lobed, or irregularly branched or foliated; these are imbricated 

 with submarginals that have similar bases and less acute tips. The coenen- 

 chyma is hard, rather thick, very spiculose but not spinose, and covered exter- 

 nally, in life or in alcohol, with a soft skin that conceals the spicules more or 

 less completely. The polyps, in the type, can retract into the calices, exposing 

 the anthocodia, which is of moderate size. The opercular spines of the tentacles 

 are arranged in chevrons, and the wreath of curved spicules is well developed. 



The spicules of the coenenchyma are various in size and form. The most 

 characteristic are rather large, flat, often scale-like, irregularly oblong, sub- 

 circular, or angular, and often, some are lobed or branched (PI. VIII, figs. 1 a-f). 

 Some of these are 0-63 by 0-33 mm., 0-56 by 0-24 mm., 0-67 by 0-33 mm. 

 in dimensions. With these are some narrower, irregular forms (figs, g-k) of 

 various shapes. Some of the spine-tipped spicules of the calicles are 1 • 03 l)v 

 0-55 mm., 0-86 by 0-25 mm. and 0-77 by 0-33 mm. (figs. 2 f-i). There are 

 also, imbricated towards the base, many thin flat spicules, mostly oblong, with 

 the edges foliated or deeply lobed (figs. 2 a-e). The spicules of the anthocodia 

 are slender spindles; those of the collar are curved (figs. 2, j, 1-p). 



